European Women Get Vibrators, American Women Get Pads & Breath Mints

Though it seems like another lifetime ago, it was only last month that I went to Edinburgh, Scotland to attend a conference about vulvar and vaginal health. On my way back home – well, actually by way of New York – I stopped to use the airport ladies room before boarding my morning flight. I was almost out the door of the ladies’ when I noticed that the vending machines sold two types of small Durex vibrators. That’s right: women in the Edinburgh ladies room can buy period products (like tampons) or they can buy a vibrator. Amazing options, eh? Especially if one is about to board an 8 hour flight all by her lonesome.

Now contrast that with the vending machines in US airport ladies rooms that sell tampons, menstrual pads, lip balm, breath freshener and pain pills. And no, not pain pills because we get period-related cramps but because we live in a country that doesn’t sell vibrators as conveniently as in the ladies vending and it gives us all a headache that these disparities of pleasure exist.

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Dr. Debby Herbenick is a sex researcher at Indiana University, sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute, columnist, and author of five books about sex and love. Learn more about her work at www.sexualhealth.indiana.edu.

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Having lived in the U.K. and also having seen the kind of pron that U.K. girls do, this doesn’t surprise me. U.K. women are portrayed to be a) the horniest females on the planet and proud of it b) bisexual. I’ve seen quite a lot of both a and b.

David

Having lived in the U.K. and also having seen the kind of pron that U.K. girls do, this doesn’t surprise me. U.K. women are portrayed to be a) the horniest females on the planet and proud of it b) bisexual. I’ve seen quite a lot of both a and b.

Gee

The world would be a better place if they started selling vibrators here in the US… lol

Gee

The world would be a better place if they started selling vibrators here in the US… lol

My Sex Professor

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